whisper
by Shat3rdLooking-Glass
Summary: Do you ever hear whispers in your head, in your dreams? After his brother disappeared, Sasuke's life has been spiraling out of control, and the only thing keeping him grounded his the cheery blond neighbor who he may have fallen in love with. NaruSasu AU
1. Watch

New fic! Yay! Been bored and stuff lately, and I can't seem to think of a way to bypass the huge brick wall known as writer's block. It's really pissing me off.

Anyway, here you go.

Title – whisper

Rating – M

Paring –NaruSasuNaru, slight NaruSaku, and SasuSaku…and sorta ItaSasu if you squint really REALLY hard.

Warning – Dark Themes

**Disclaimer – Don't own Naruto. **The lucky guy in Japan does, and he gets paid for it. **I don't own Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. **It's based off that book, but not exactly, because I start veering off of that later.

The whole story is told in Sasuke's POV.

**A/N – Extremely important to read this! Yes, I changed the story to yaoi. Why? Because I like it better that way. Don't like, don't read. And besides, NaruSasu (and ItaSasu) are my OTPs. P**

-0-0-0-

It was only two weeks after we had moved from Japan to America when my brother disappeared. He didn't bring many belongings and just left my birthday present, wrapped neatly (everything about him was neat) in blue paper, on the corner of my bedside table. None of us woke up and heard him leave. That day, July 23 of my sixteenth birthday, was the day my family fell apart.

My mother's hysterical sobbing pulled me straight out of my dreamland. I sat up, fully awake and dashed out my bedroom door, afterwards tripping on the sleeping cat and whacking my face against the wall. My nose was aching, and probably bleeding, but I didn't bother to treat it. Instead, I found my way down the stairs and to the kitchen. My once poised and perfect mother was hunched over the table, shoulders shaking, while my stoic father's face looked crushed as he held Itachi's note in his hands. I felt as if there were strangers in this house; these two completely devastated adults couldn't be my parents.

"Why? Why? It makes absolutely no sense at all!" my mother managed to choke out between sobs. Her chest was heaving, and I quickly fetched a glass of water. She smacked it away. The buzzing refrigerator was the only noise in the room, happily gurgling on, just as if it was a normal morning. "He can't just do this! He can't!"

My father calmly re-read the note, and then let out a heavy sigh. Itachi's messy, scrawled words were scribbled on a napkin, as if he left in a hurry. Later, I had to squint to finally make out the words. It was short, sweet, and to the point; Itachi never really minced words.

_Father, Mother, Sasuke,_

_Sorry. I'll explain someday. I'll keep in touch. Love you all._

_Happy Birthday, Sasuke_

_I. Uchiha_

My father read the note aloud, and my mother crashed again, crazily crying out and screaming. "It's all my fault! It's all my fault!"

I watched as he stood up and walked towards the phone, his brows furrowing in frustration. He was upset, an emotion rarely seen in my usually stoic father. I said nothing. He reached for the phone and dialed the police headquarters where he worked as Chief. "I'll get missing persons on this," he announced quietly, in that stern, finite tone indicating that nothing more should be said.

As my mother attempted to calm herself (ultimately failing, I may add), I glanced over her shoulder and saw our neighbors (the totally over welcoming neighbors who thought it right to come barging in on my birthday because we were 'new'), Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina and Uzumaki Naruto, cutting across our back yard and heading towards the door. In Naruto's arms, there is my birthday present, ungainly wrapped in a hideous orange paper. Such a huge contrast to my brother's clean handiwork. It's almost relieving…in a way.

"I don't believe this!" my distraught mother bellows again. "He's only twenty-one! He was supposed to graduate this year!"

I block out her screaming and open the back door, allowing my best friend and his parents inside. Naruto, with that same sunshine smile of his cheerily says, "Happy Birthday" before handing me my gift. With a small smile, I take it from his hands.

"What happened?" Kushina exclaims, her hand pressing over her mouth. "Goodness, Mikoto! You look horrible."

Meanwhile, my father was reporting everything to his co-workers. "Itachi Uchiha. My son. Yes, the one who helped you on that case. Five eleven, black eyes and hair…and…"

My head is spinning. I gulp down the glass of water my mother shoved away, hands clutching onto the counter for support. Naruto walks over and places a supportive hand on my shoulder. I don't smile, but I manage to mutter a "thank you."

Memories run through my head. Memories of my mother, tucking me into bed. My brother and I shared a room in our small apartment complex in Japan before we moved here to America after my father's huge and successful business endeavor. He would be perusing a novel, often times pausing to tuck a stray strand of long black hair behind his ear. Mother would smile, kiss us both and then tell us to listen.

"For what?" my little three year-old voice would squeak.

"For the voices."

After a short pause, Itachi would reply, "I don't here anything."

She would laugh and say, "You will. Someday."

Minato's voice dragged my back into the present. "What happened? What did Itachi do?"

My father returned from the living room, cordless phone in hand. After several minutes of watching and listening, he hung up and sighed. "They say they can't do anything for twenty-four hours, but their keeping an eye out. We should do so ourselves."

"What happened?" Minato repeats impatiently.

"It's Itachi…it seems as if he ran away," was my father's completely flat reply.

_Or escaped…._I shove the thought away, feeling guilty. Naruto and I proceeded up the stairs to get together a list of numbers that we could call for other information, leaving the adults: my stern, but angry father, Naruto's comforting and sweet mother, the intelligent and witty governor, Minato, and my sobbing, broken mother, down in the kitchen, left to their own devices. Just before I enter Itachi's room, I peek into mine and fetch the present. Slowly, I unwrap the blue paper and open the box. A note slips onto my lap.

Inside was a camera – what I've always wanted. And not one of those simple ones, a real photography camera. I pictured (pardon the pun) myself ecstatic, as I always dreamed of when I would receive such a gift. But my heart was a void. Sighing, I take the note in my hands and read it carefully. I almost scream at the words. In black ink and messy handwriting, it said:

_I here them. See you there._

**W H I S P E R **

**1. **Watch

When I was younger, my brother, Shisui-nii-san and I would go to the neighborhood park. My mother and aunt would sit on the benches, laughing and commenting on how cute the kids were getting and taking random snapshots. One day, I asked my brother to push me on the swings. For once, he said yes (instead of poking me on the forehead) and I should have taken that as an omen, because I fell promptly off the swing and bumped my head on the ground. My left temple was bleeding.

Being the overprotective and slightly overbearing woman she was, my mother immediately went hysteric, and my aunt scolded my brother, who said nothing. Shisui was the only one with enough common sense to get a bandage and disinfectant and treat my wound. This story was often repeated over and over again at parties. Itachi and I don't remember it that well, but we do know that each time the event was retold, something more was added to it, until it just became fiction. The only real remnant was the scar across my left temple. As I grew up, no one really noticed it. Except for me and Itachi.

After Shisui died (suicide, as it was reported) my brother retreated into his own thoughts. He barely spoke to anybody. However, I could sometimes catch him peering closely at my face, searching for that scar, and than tracing his long fingers against it. He hated himself for hurting me, but we both knew it wasn't his fault. Just one of the few things we share in common.

I once asked him about his name, and tried calling him weasel. Itachi would laugh and say, "In Japanese, the weasel would often bring bad luck, even death." And I would stop kidding around right there, because his eyes would give a faraway look, as if he was thinking about Shisui. I never spoke to him about that afterwards.

0-0

My brother wasn't a bringer of death, or misfortune to me. What he was, was student council president for two years in his high school, valedictorian, star athlete, and all around, just the best. He volunteered, hung out with friends every Wednesday, and was famous in his high school for protesting against the social studies teacher about human rights. He made local news on that one, and my father reclined in his seat and stared proudly at his son's determined face.

There were only two times that he was completely depressed. One time, at the soccer championships, he missed the goal that could have won it all, and locked himself away in his room for two days straight. He never talked about it, and rectified the loss by scoring the only four goals in next year's championship. The second was at a congratulatory party for being accepted into a huge university_, _on a scholarship, too. He didn't say a single thing, and addressed thank yous with a nod. After that, we moved here, to a small suburb town called Konoha in the United States.

It was a week after that when I met him.

I was tending to my garden, planting, fertilizing, picking and pruning, all the while ignoring the summer heat, when someone called over the fence. Glancing up, I see a boy, with sparkling hair and gleaming blue eyes, and holding heaven: a huge, cold cup of lemonade. "Hiya! Did you want some!?" he cooed, offering the cup. "It's only a quarter!"

I fished in my pockets for a quarter, and I came out with a dollar, and handed it to him. "Keep the change," I said.

His face beamed in gratitude, a happy smile spreading across it. It looked really serene, calm, and pleasant, as if he was completely satisfied with such a simple reply. It was a nice, gentle smile, the kind in magazines, and the kind that took years to perfect. I loved it, in a way.

"You're welcome. And thank you for the lemonade," I responded, trying to smile back. It didn't feel right, and I don't think it shined like his smile. Sighing, I returned to the daffodil I cradled in my fingers. A shadow loomed over my shoulder, and the boy's voice rang loud in my ears.

"Wow. It's beautiful."

His smile may be beautiful, but his very presence, especially when my 'gardening time' was my 'alone time' was annoying. I offered him the flower, praying that he would leave. He smiled again and took the flower in his fingers, eyes dancing in delight. "Thank you, thank you! My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Yours?"

"Uchiha Sasuke…I mean Sasuke Uchiha," I corrected, letting the thought that I was in American now slip through my brain. His eyes widened, like a little child's who had just figured out that Santa wasn't real.

"You're Japanese, too! That's great. We could get to know each other," he exclaimed again. "I live right across the street from you, so yeah. I'll see you at school, Sasuke." He was trying to hide it, but I could see him blushing, cheeks giving off a tint of pink. I could feel it too; my face burning up. I couldn't discern whether it was the extremely hot weather or him. I shook my head, denying that it was the boy.

Naruto bounded off towards his house (it was the large yellow one across the street and to the left), and just before he entered the door, he turned to look at me, with those eyes; the same eyes that Itachi had whenever he thought about Shisui. Eyes of longing. For a split second, we make eye contact, and then he turns away, and I turn away, my heart thumping.

For the next few days, I couldn't forget that chance encounter. Until my birthday rolled around that is, and then my world shattered.

0-0

That morning, on July 23, everyone forget my birthday, and our kitchen became like a secret base, where the spies are trying to find someone on the run. Phones were ringing, voices yelling, and pandemonium took control. My mother sat by the phone, staring intently, as if any moment now, Itachi would call and claim it was a joke, and that _of course _he would return to college and graduate. My father shut himself in his office, calling all the numbers Naruto and I got together. He had gone through more than half with no luck.

"I can't believe he would do this!" my mother cried again and again. "College. He was going to be so successful!" All the heads around her would nod (the neighbors, and mother's friends who gathered here for her comfort) and hand her another glass of coffee.

Naruto had gone into my room and was currently looking through my computer, searching for my summer reading essays that he still hadn't completed yet. I didn't bother to stop him from copying and returned to my brother's room. I sat on the bed, looking around. It was too neat, and the boxes that still hadn't been unpacked yet sat in the corner. In front of the closet was the huge stack of things he and my mother had purchased on their weekend trips to department stores for college: pillowcases, a fan, baskets, blankets, hangers, suitcases. I wondered if he had planned this all out, if he had known that he wasn't going to use this stuff.

I sighed and looked out the window, and saw another big red house across the street. Sakura, a girl in the neighborhood I met earlier, was sitting on the front porch, laughing on her cell phone, probably talking to her boyfriend or something. _Naruto's gonna be pissed, _I thought, remembering the babbling the blond idiot had done before about the girl of his dreams. For some odd reason, the thought brought nausea to my stomach. Why was I so repulsed at the idea of Naruto liking her? I shook my head and stood up to move.

My foot caught on the leg of his bedside table; almost causing me to trip (I was awfully clumsy this morning). The drawer flew open, and scattered on the floor was the photos from the 'olden days' as he put it. There was one of us, just before we left our old house, and to our new life. He wasn't smiling. Neither was I.

Another odd memory struck at my heart. It was that time, before we moved, and I had said goodbye to my old high school and my so called 'friends.' My brother was talking to a girl that lived around the neighborhood when I got home. She handed him a letter, and he shook his head and apologized, saying, "I'm moving, remember. Sorry." The girl nodded and left without another word, but I could see the thorough disappointment in his face.

"Poor girl," I said, walking toward the door.

"There's nothing I can do," Itachi flatly explained.

I smiled at my brother and after fumbling with my keys for a few moments, managed to unlock the door and proceeded inside. He followed me and dropped his bag on the staircase, sighing. "It's odd, isn't it? We've lived here our entire lives, and now we have to let go. I just feel that we should be more…scared or reluctant. But for some reason, I don't feel any attachment to this village at all."

I paused, listening to his quiet voice. "That was more than you spoke in a week," I commented.

He chuckled darkly. "You're such a pain. But I love you anyways."

"Likewise," I said.

That had been three weeks prior. He had to have been planning this. He had to.

Taped to the wall above the desk were all the ribbons, and awards he had accumulated all these years: spelling bees, honor roll, scholarships; and on the desk sat athletic trophies: soccer, basketball, track. There were also pictures of friends, in one of those mall booths making silly faces. There were a couple of us, too. One from the holidays, when we were kids, and many others.

On the other side of this wall, in my room, I had the same bed, same set, same wall. But on my wall and desk, I had pictures of my old friends, my third place ribbon from the science fair, a certificate from the AB honor roll, and a second place trophy in track. Most would have been happy, but Itachi had left a long, long trail ahead of me. I couldn't do anything but pale in comparison.

I wasn't jealous. I was so proud. He came always to cheer me on and encourage me. Granted, he wasn't crazy, or extremely hyper, but he would always beam proudly, and say, "I knew you could do it." I don't know what I would do now, without that.

I saw the trail he left, I saw him a far distance a way. I saw Sakura's sweet smile and Naruto's amazingly captivating azure eyes just slightly in front of me. I saw Itachi turn around, smile, and then rush off the road. I saw everything disappear.

I had always counted on him to lead me…but now I have to find a new road all by myself.

0-0

Please read and review. Thank you.

And if you plan on reviewing for crap and things like that, saying that I stole the story or anything, I'll totally ignore you. Because a lot of people base their stories off of books, and I plan on veering off to my own story line. So don't start with me, k?

Thank you all!

Character Profiles of Protagonists.

Uchiha Sasuke

16 (as of today)

5'7 (he's pretty short)

Junior attending Konoha High School

Family – Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi

Likes – Nothing much…except (maybe) Annoying blond boys and older brother

Hates – Annoying blond boys, Annoying bubble gum haired girls, pedophiles, orange

Goals – He'd rather not say

-Naruto's new neighbor, a quiet stoic kid. He admires his brother, hates his father, and loves his mother. He secretly likes gardening (gay written all over him)

Uzumaki Naruto

15 (will be turning sixteen in October)

5'10 (loves to work out)

Junior attending Konoha High School

Family – Namikaze Minato (the governor), Uzumaki Kushina

Likes – Ramen, attractive things, working out, sports

Hates – Math, anything school related, hurting friends, failure

Goals – To become like his father, but be individual as well

-A friend who enjoys…being friends. He immediately ran up to Sasuke with lemonade upon word of their arrival. He wants to 'light the fire' in the Uchiha

Uchiha Itachi

21

5'11

Graduating Konoha University this year (not now, obviously)

Family – Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Sasuke

Likes – working, reading, sketching, annoying little brothers

Hates – failure, perfection

Goals –

-A runaway from the Uchiha family. Mystery shrouds his disappearance

Haruno Sakura

16

5'5

Junior attending Konoha High School

Family – (not important XD)

Likes – Sasuke, boys, cheerleading, school and mushy gushy love stories

Hates – annoying blond idiots, Ino, and rock music

Goals – to win Sasuke's heart, become a doctor

-A young girl living across the street from Sasuke. She enjoys dancing, singing, and acting, and medical stuff. She really is a secret yaoi fan.


	2. Listen

**Wow. I got some pretty pleasant reviews for this story. I'm happy. **

**This typically is a modern age love story, with mysteries and dark themes applied. Don't like, don't read.**

**Thank you very much for your patience. As for my other fics, I'll start working…sometime.**

-0-0-0-

Naruto later invited me to his house as an escape from the chaos already destroying my own. It was actually very thoughtful of him, and I immediately accepted the offer. I took my camera, and Naruto's messily wrapped unopened present and slipped out the back door leading to our yard. It didn't surprise me that no one noticed me leave.

The blond continued blabbering about the neighborhood, friends, school, and other social activities. I nodded, 'hn.ed' and 'ahh-ed' at the right places, but my mind was busy traveling elsewhere. Wherever my brother was. I wondered if he was happy, smiling. I also wondered whether he missed me, my sobbing, crushed mother, and my stoic-as-ever father at all.

"Sasuke? Oi, Sasuke!?" he said, waving a large tan hand in front of my face. He pouted, not used to being ignored. "Teme! Are you going to ignore me all day, or what? Hey, Sasuke-teme!"

I stopped walking, blinking the thoughts to the back of my head, and I turned to face him. Despite his mad words, Naruto's face held more worry than anger. Fumbling with the presents in my hands, I sighed and assured him that everything was already. He remained unconvinced but said nothing more. We crossed our backyards and stepped up the wooden porch. I waited while he dug through his pockets for the keys, and half listened to his cheery banter.

Finally, he managed to throw the door open, and I walked inside.

It was very…Uzumaki. The walls were painted in many splotches of bright colors, as if someone just threw a whole balloon of paint at them. Knowing the family, who was widely notorious for their freedom and artistic talent, I wouldn't be surprised if every room in the building was decorated in the same fashion. The recliners and couches were set up under the laws of feng shui, and a huge television sat in the center. Upon one of the interesting chairs sat Naruto's father, and surprisingly, the governor of Konoha, Namikaze Minato. He had welcomed my family with open arms, and apparently, our parents were good friends. He was what a teenager would call "a cool dad," known for fun and spunk.

Minato looked up from his seat, a comforting smile on his face. "Some birthday, huh?" he joked.

I shrugged and took a seat next to him, and stared blankly at the screen. During the first two weeks that we've been here, my family had all sort of fights under the stress. Sometimes, my brother and I would run to this house, and Kushina, Minato, and Naruto would all be armed with soothing words of reassurance. Every once in a while I would wonder what it would be like to have parents like them – strong, willful, but sweet and understanding. To have a brother like Naruto – my exact opposite. I thought it would be chaos, but my brother said it would be somewhat of a relief.

My eyes glance at the small, mahogany table beside the couch. Several envelopes were heaped precariously atop it, as well as a lamp, pens and post it papers. The papers were what caught my eye. On the top sheet was my brother's name written in Itachi's doodling scrawl. I reached over and ripped the sheet out of the stack, and I wondered what my brother was thinking when he sat here, on this very couch and wrote his name. Was he planning this from the beginning?

"Hey."

Naruto's voice again shocked me out of my stupor. It seemed to be happening a lot lately; whenever I fell into daydreams, it was Naruto who I awoke to. The thought almost made me blush. "What?"

"Let's play some video games!" he cheered in the most childlike way possible. There was a sort of whine to it, an innocence. Since I had nothing else to do, and it would probably be better to get my mind out of this junk, I complied and followed him down the stairs into a large, open basement. The air conditioning was cranked up, cooling the room. Another large television and stereo set sat on the left wall, and a game system was situated in front, surrounded by beanbag chairs. The walls were painted just like the upstairs living room. I smiled.

Naruto moved to turn on the system and plopped his broad figure down on one of the chairs. I sank into mine, scrunching up into a little ball. Naruto threw me a controller and the loud stereo blasted out the game music, jolting me upright. Laughing loudly over the sounds, Naruto apologized and tuned the volume down a little.

We played for hours, loosing ourselves in the fantasy worlds and on the racetracks. I found it odd: how easily you could detach yourself from reality. Nintendo is a genius.

Naruto threw down his controller in frustration, pouting like a little girl. "Damnit. Who knew you were so good at these things?" he complained.

I shrugged, saying, "Well, I got bored often. Although my parents don't like video games, I used to sneak over to my old friend, Suigetsu, to play them. He taught me a lot of cheats."

A pregnant, awkward pause ensued. Then, "Aren't you going to open your present?" Naruto asked, an insecure smile on his face. "Well, I'm not sure you'll like it, but since you just moved here I figured I should've got you something. And since you're new you might not have a lot of friends and…"

In the middle of his rants, I reached behind me and placed the orange box on my lap. Slowly, my fingers removed the ribbon holding the container closed and I gently unfolded the wrapping paper. Naruto groaned about how meticulously I was handling the present. I retorted that I wouldn't like to rip the unique wrapping paper. Finally, I lifted the lid.

Only to find another box wrapped in orange paper.

I glared. "Do you do this often?"

"Nope. Just to the friends I really like."

That statement may have caused me to blush, but I denied it. Again, I unhurriedly removed the orange cover. Again, I lifted the lid.

Again, I was faced with another box decorated in the same fashion.

By now, my frustration was eating away at my patience. In spite of this, and in spite of Naruto, I continued to slowly, gracefully, unwrap the boxes and raise the lids. Again, and again, I was met with more boxes. Finally, something snapped, and I growled, savagely ripping off the paper. Naruto laughed, slapping his knee and rolling all over the floor.

It turns out that that was the final box. Shooting one more glare at Naruto, I opened the package, and something glittered inside. Captivated, I reached for the object in a trance like state. Dangling from my fingers was a silver chain necklace, with a swirling 'naruto' (fishcake) charm clipped onto it. I twirled the charm in my finger, and it spun, catching the light in such a dazzling way.

I've had plenty of gifts before: the camera, teddy bears, I-pod, laptop, cell phone, and other things that children and adolescents always begged their parents for. But nothing held the same wondrous feeling as this simple charm did.

"Th-thank you," I managed to stutter.

Naruto smiled sheepishly, and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I didn't know what else to give you, so yeah." His tan features flushed light pink and I looked away, smiling inwardly. "You're welcome," he whispered, barely audible.

Suddenly, all of my fingers lost their dexterity. As I clumsily fiddle with the necklace clasp, Naruto giggled again in amusement, like an idiot schoolgirl. I was too happy to glare at him, and to determined to put the accessory on to pay any attention to him. I guess that was when he stepped behind me and took the necklace in his hands. The clasp opened, and he placed the charm over my head and around my neck, then snapped it into place. A perfect fit.

"See! Now you can brag that Uzumaki Naruto, son of the wacky governor of Konoha, is your best friend!" the blond exclaimed proudly.

There was a wonderful sense of comfort in his words. Subconsciously, yet, with no regrets, I leaned back right into his arms. For a second he froze, and I wondered if I did something wrong. Just as I was about to jolt upright and apologize, his arms wrapped protectively around me, and something warm surged in my heart. Against his chest, I heard his beat loudly, practically jumping straight out of his body. Mine was probably in the same condition.

We sat there for what we hoped would be an eternity, I in his arms.

-0-0-0-

**W H I S P E R**

**2. Listen**

-0-0-0-

The wonderful bliss was interrupted by Minato's boisterous call from upstairs.

"Naruto! The boys are here to see you!"

Reluctantly, I shifted away from his warmth, and Naruto hollered, "Coming, Dad!" He stood up, and offered his hand to me. "C'mon, I'll introduce you to them!"

I thought the previous magical moment meant nothing to him. However, the thoughts were banished by the apparent crimson blush adorning his features. He helped me up and led me back to the living room, where several boys stood, conversing. I felt strangely out of place. Naruto released my hand and rushed over to them, smiling. "Hey guys! How was your vacation?"

"What's up, Naruto!?" a brunet boy yelled, slapping the blond a hard high five. He had spiky brown hair, sharp eyes, and teeth that looked more like a rabid animal's. In his arms was a small white dog. His eyes flashed to me, and I shied away, crossing my arms over my chest. "Hey, Naruto? Who's that guy?" he asked, pointing in my direction.

Naruto turned to face me, and I swore his large, dopey grin widened. "He's Sasuke, the new neighbor. Today's his birthday, so I came and invited him over. Sasuke, this is Kiba, a good friend from high school."

"Pleased to meet you," I said, bowing in the polite, Japanese way.

He raised his eyebrow, questioning my habits, before asking, "You're Japanese too, eh? I hear it in your accent. Naruto had it at first, too, but it's long gone." He outstretched his hand toward me, smiling friendlily. "I hate formal talk. It tires me out. It's nice to meet you, too, Sasuke!"

We shook hands, and Kiba gestured to the rest of the group. "This is Gaara, Shikamaru, and Neji," he said, pointing to a red-head with fascinating green eyes circled by heavy black eyeliner, a brunet with his hair tied up in a pineapple-like fashion and a lazy look plastered over his face, and a long haired, blank eyed teen, respectively. We nodded to each other. I got their names all jumbled up in my head.

"Heh, don't worry about it," Naruto said, slapping my back supportively. "Though you'll have A LOT more names to memorize."

I grunted, and then mumbled something in Japanese. Kiba chuckled at my reaction.

"So Sasuke, having a good birthday?" the dog-owner ignorantly inquired. I knew he was just being polite, but I turned away suddenly, attempting to hide the worry on my face. The blank eyed one (Neji?) immediately caught it, as if he could see through the back of my head. I heard him whisper something quietly to Naruto, who started to explain everything.

Sympathetically, they nodded, and muttered apologize. It made everything worse, though I didn't bother saying that aloud. Instead, I faked a smile and told them everything would be fine. Minato decided to break the ice with snacks and cards.

We ended up in a circle on the carpet, chattering about insignificant details, just like any normal teenager, over chips and dip and a game of black jack. Neji was a genius at the game, and I asked him if he counted cards. Shikamaru lazily stated that he could see through walls. I hoped he was kidding. Naruto lost fifteen times in a row before suggesting another game.

"We should bet stuff," Kiba said, throwing his arm over Neji's shoulder. "I call Neji on my team!"

Gaara glowered at Kiba, and looked as if he was about to murder the poor brunet. He growled, and Kiba took the hint and inched away from the card master, who blinked impassively at the redhead. I got the feeling that those two had more to their relationship than just simple friendship. Awkwardly, Naruto laughed and shuffled the cards. I chewed on my chips.

Suddenly, Kushina came flying in through the back door, her face excited, but extremely grim. She yanked on my arm, pulling me up from my seating position, and shook my shoulders. "Itachi called! He called. He called!" And she dashed up the stairs, repeating the phrase over and over again.

My head swirled for a few moments, and I clutched onto the sofa's armrests for balance. It took me five whole seconds to realize I had to get home. Quickly, I said my good-byes and rushed out the door, and Naruto's footsteps were right behind me, much to my surprise. We crossed the backyard faster than any Olympic track star and I forcefully slid open my own new home's back door. There, right in the kitchen, sat my mother, sobbing hysterically. For a moment, I thought I was too late, until a familiar voice came from the speaker.

"Mom?"

"Itachi, where are you? Oh my, you must come home!"

There was a pause. I thought he hung up, and my mother burst into another fit of tears. Finally, he spoke, each word calculated carefully, like the meticulous perfectionist he was. "I can't come home. Please don't ask me to."

"But Itachi!" she cried.

My father ripped open the door from his office and dashed toward the kitchen phone faster than I had ever seen him move before. His voice was stern, but shaky. "Son, we want you home. You may be old enough to go out on your own, but what about college."

"Dad, I'm not going to college. Not anymore."

Anger and frustration seemed to take hold of my father. He slammed his fist loudly against the refrigerator, and I swore I heard Itachi gasp. "Do you understand what you are doing? You're throwing away your life! Everything you worked so hard for, down the drain. I'm not allowing that. You're coming home, whether you like it or not, understood?"

I felt tears streaming down my face. Naruto clutched my arm supportively, tightly. It made no difference; I silently began to cry.

"No. I'm living my life now. I can't do this anymore, Dad. I'm not going," there was such indemnity, a fierceness in his voice. Whenever he used that tone, Itachi's decision was made. It was final; he wasn't coming home. Ever. I began sobbing, too, mimicking my mother, and Naruto's grip on my arm tightened considerably.

"Where are you?" my mother screeched, shaking crazily. My father held her, just as Naruto was holding me. "Where are you?" the question repeated, more softly.

"Sasuke? Sasuke, are you there? Please don't cry."

Immediately, I jumped up at the sound of my name. Quickly, with Naruto at my heels (like some sort of loyal golden retriever) I pushed past my parents toward the speaker, wiping my tears. "Yes?"

"Take care, okay? I miss you."

"Why? Why are you leaving?" I demanded, letting the anger flow through my words, too. "If you miss us so much, come home."

"It's hard, Sasuke. I just can't. I'm so sorry. I'm such a horrible brother," I heard the hitch in his voice. He was on the verge of tears, as well. I started yelling out apologizes, regretting every word I just previously spoke.

Finally, I heard him sigh. "Mom, Dad, take care, okay? Sasuke, you too," and the last word he spoke was said with an obvious hesitation. "Good-bye."

"No!" my mother pleaded, falling to her knees.

He hung up.

-0-0-0-

**Yes, I know it's short. But I had to update this fic.**

**Profiles. **

Uchiha Fugaku

49

6'0

Businessman

Family – Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi

Likes – clean houses, sons, work, simplicity

Hates – untidiness, complexity

Goals – To raise his sons, so they can support themselves

-The patriarch of the Uchiha family, he moved to Konoha for a business opportunity. He's cold, calculating, but cares very deeply for his family's well being.

Uchiha Mikoto

44

5'7

Housemother

Family – Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi

Likes – bright colors, flowers, and her family

Hates – dullness, untidiness, fights

Goals – To give her sons everything she can and support the family

-The wife of Fugaku, she is almost his exact opposite. She's caring, and motherly, and loves her family above herself.

Namikaze Minato

43

6'1

Governor

Family – Uzumaki Kushina, Uzumaki Naruto

Likes – Crazy colors, excitement, happy things

Hates – boring things, work

Goals – To live life happily

-The spunky, and well-loved governor of Konoha, Minato is wise, and warm-hearted. He may not show it, but he has a powerful and strong will.

Uzumaki Kushina

40

5'8

Photographer/Art Teacher

Family – Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Naruto

Likes – her last name, fishcakes, art

Hates – black, boring people

Goals – To teach her son to be productive in some way

-The go-lucky, but solicitous mother of Naruto, she's friendly and outgoing. Despite this, she has an easily envious side, considering her husband is a well-loved man in the town.


End file.
